Are Bedford Residents More Likely to Survive a Heart Attack?

Bedford residents became a whole lot safer Wednesday night after being the twentieth community in New Hampshire to be designated as a HeartSafe Community. This community-based effort is designed to improve the survival odds for people suffering sudden cardiac events, such as heart attacks or cardiac arrests. The key to the program is what the American Heart Association calls the Chain of Survival. The Chain of Survival has four vital links: early access to emergency care; early cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR); early defibrillation and early advanced care.

To become designated as a New Hampshire HeartSafe Community, points, called Heartbeats, are earned for CPR/AED classes held, placement of AEDs with First Responders and in public places.

Through the New Hampshire HeartSafe Communities Program, the NH Department of Safety - Bureau of EMS, the NH Department of Health and Human Services and the American Heart Association have made it a priority to help NH cities and towns improve the chances that anyone suffering a sudden cardiac arrest will have the best possible chance of survival.

A ceremony was held on Wednesday, June 26, proceeding the Bedford Town Council meeting. NH Bureau of EMS Acting Chief Chip Cooper and Nancy Vaughan, American Heart Association’s Government Relations Director, presented Bedford leaders with a road sign to be placed at the town line declaring Bedford a HeartSafe Community.

Bedford joins a growing list of HeartSafe Communities which include Manchester, Derry, Milford, Lyme, Hampton, Chester, Concord, Goffstown, Henniker, Hudson, Keene, Lancaster, Lincoln, Peterborough, Portsmouth, Rochester, Swanzey, Walpole & Woodstock.